If you do a search for the Twilight Alliance on Amazon.com you'll notice a new feature. Near the bottom of the page is a list of SIPs (statisically improbably phrases) that occur in my book. These are phrases that appear numerous times in my book compared to other books. Phrases like "magical spectrum", "fire demons" and "young mage" are included on the list. It's interesting to think that my book is wierd enough that I have introduced phrases that are probably almost never used and would be utterly meaningless in normal conversation.

I've also noticed that someon on Amazon is selling a new copy of my book for 32$... I'm not quite sure how that works? How do booksellers sell my book on Amazon for more than the retail price?

Anyway, just some wierd observations I made and it's been a while since I posted. On another (less irrelevant) note, in a few weeks the Twilight Alliance will be celebrating it's first year of publication. Time flies! Keep checking the blog for new developments. A draft of the Etherlands Volume II is now being read by a select few and the concensus is it is a much faster paced, exciting and thought provoking book than the first. Keep in touch. I may decide to post significant portions of the sequel online for people to get a preview of the Ashen Hordes.

The Ashen Hordes

I have just finished and begun editing the first draft of the Etherlands, Volume 2. The sequel is told primarly from the viewpoint of Sherem and Remiah. She and Simon are on a quest to find the remaining demons masks. Sythan, the Lord of Demons seeks to find the Demon Masks himself and has raised an army of undead creatures to ravage the land and carry out his grim task. Meanwhile, Remiah leads his companions on a quest through the Etherlands where the balance of power has shifted in favour of the demons who rule the land.

The book is darker and faster paced than the first since the world has already been introduced in volume 1. I would like to have the sequel available in the next year or two. In the meantime, I am still working on putting up a blog that will have short stories that take place on Aldinar and in the Etherlands. First up is a story tentatively titled,"Beloved Son", a story that gives some insight onto the relationship between Erasto Tabiri and Grokeon Blyte.

The Twilight Alliance Hits Barnes and Noble stores across the U.S.

Good news everyone! The Twilight Alliance is popping up at Barnes and Noble across the US and should eventually be in 85 stores across the country. Check the website for details. You can enter your zipcode to see if a Barnes and Noble near you is selling the book.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Twilight-Alliance/C-S-Gregg/e/9781934938089/?itm=1

Because I'm in Canada and can't witness this joyous event, if you do come across the book in stores, take a picture with it and send it to me. I'll post it on the facebook group, which anyone is free to join to get updates about the Twilight Alliance and upcoming sequels and events.

Etherlands Volume 2 is well on its way and I expect to be finished a first draft within the month. I think it's a bit on the violent side and may have to take it down a notch in future drafts. I've actually had nightmares about some of the things in that book. More news coming up.

Interview on Soul Call

For those of you who missed the interview on Soul Call, here it is on youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgZm0WX7hWM

They edited out most of the profanities and my contreversial opinions about postpartum depression and scientology which in restrospect I'm greatful for.

Interviewed on Soul Call

I'll be on the television show, Soul Call that interviews members of the Carribean community in Montreal. I'm on this Saturday February 28th at 10pm. The show will rerun on Sunday at 4pm, thursday at 11am and Friday at 8am. It comes on CJNT Montreal, channel 14 if you have cable, 207 if you have bell express vu and 62 on UHF.

The 5 minute interview was about my book but the conversation went a little into my gradiate work on agingl and spirituality somehow, which surprised me. Anyway, it was a fun experience, great talking to the hosts, Peter Anthony Holder and Zeeta Maharaj. Before me they interviewed a guy named Jonathan Emile, an inspirational artist and producer. I got to meet him and he'll be releasing an album this fall. So check it out!

New Year, new developments

Another Christmas came and went. Thank you to those who have given me some feedback on the Twilight Alliance. A first for me, some of my books were given away as Christmas gifts, to people in Norway no less. Does that qualify me as an international phenomenon? I certainly think so. The book is now listed on almost every american online retailer I've checked as well as some very bizzare sites written in languages I don't speak.

The sequel is well underway and will be entitled the Ashen Hordes. It's also shaping up to be a lot darker than the Twilight Alliance so bring a night light to bed. The Ashen Hordes will take Simon's character in a new direction and continue to develop the others in some hopefully unexpected ways. The story will follow the consequences of Simon's first trip to the Etherlands and reveal a sinister plots by the demons who were awakenned in the Twilight Alliance.

But this announcement is rather premature. I'm still seeing if I can find a traditional publishing house to do a reprint of the Twilight Alliance. The book as it is is still unpolished and not professional. Maybe a reprint will get it to where I'd like it to be. Until then, I have some other ideas in the works, so I'm excited to see how the world of Aldinar evolves over the next year. I have an obsession with fantasy art, so I'm really open to any project that would involve artwork. More announcements coming soon. I'd love to start writing short stories set in Aldinar and maybe post them on this site? Stay tuned.

An Obscure Genre

As part of the process of publishing my book, the company that was going to do some of the marketing had me decide how to characterize my book. At the end of the day I decided to go with the standard, sci-fi/fantasy category.

Recently the book has been popping up on online retailers like Amazon.com. I was surprised to see that http://www.tower.com/ (which is selling the book for 12.62$, lowest price I've seen so far) has placed my book as the 408th best selling Fictional Christian Romance novel! So, if you're looking for some Hot Christian Romance, apparently the Twilight Alliance is the book for you. Though I don't find the book terribly romantic, and I don't remember the part in the Bible that had half-horse, half-fire, half-man people in it. Or gryphons... In fact, I'm somewhat frightenned as to how these elements might translate to a romance. I mean, how can you have a relationship with a half-man, half horse?

Outrageous claim #2: Reading the Twilight Alliance will make you more desirable to members of the opposite sex!

Keep your eyes open for reviews of the book. Also, check out http://www.thehachiko.com/ which put up a preview of the Twilight Alliance.

And for those of you who are finished reading, I insist that you vote for your favourite character on the poll to the left. Enjoy!

http://www.tower.com/twilight-alliance-etherlands-volume-1-c-s-gregg-/wapi/112516725